Addeyyb Annihilates Rivals In Queen Elizabeth

By Brad Gray

The Group One Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) had a lot to live up to on the strength of the star-filled field and with it being ‘Winx-less’ for the first time in three seasons, but Addeybb was stunning in victory.

The winner of the G1 Ranvet Stakes three weeks ago was sent around favourite ahead of the well supported Verry Elleegant and Japanese galloper Danon Premium and that’s the way they finished.
Danon Premium idled up to make a race of it in the straight but Addeybb still had gears that Tom Marquand hadn’t called upon.

Punters Intelligence shows that it was again Addeybb’s ability to gradually build before holding that through the line that won him the race. The six-year-old, with Tom Marquand a perfect fit for his style, clocked the fastest last 200m of 12.19s.

“Since June last year, (William Haggas) thought he was the right horse, getting a bit of soft ground at this time of year for The Championships, to pull it off, it’s just fantastic,” said stable representative Harry Eustace.

“A lot of time and effort goes into a win like this, from everyone back home, our trackwork rider and Tom who gave him an absolute peach, it’s just fantastic.

“I didn’t think he would win by that far, it’s such a deep field and I thought it would be a real nail biter to the finish, but when he kicked clear turning in, he ran all the way through the line in the Ranvet and he was going to do the same here today.
 
“It was an easy watch the last 50m, but we had a bit of a shout before then. If we had more rain he would have won by further I’d say.”
 
Marquand, who has an ever-growing legion of Australian fans, praised how tough and straightforward Addeybb is.
 
“He just switches off, knows when to turn it on, and he just drops his head and runs for you and you don’t even have to ask him. An honour to ride a horse like that,” gushed Marquand.
 
 “He is a horse that goes through wet ground as if it is not even there. That is just one of his attributes and shows how tough he is because he just doesn’t care. He goes straight over the top of it and today there was never a moment where I thought I was not going to pick up.
 
“I guess it just depends on how much the Japanese horse found, and everyone else, but he was far superior.”
 
It’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of ‘Aussie Tom’ on our shores but the 22-year-old is set to jet back home after next week’s All Aged Stakes meeting at Randwick.
 
“My plan is to go home next Saturday after the last day. Obviously it is getting harder and harder to get home and having ridden at The Championships I’ve probably had my fair share of luck for this year,” he said.
 
“I think a lot of people are underestimating how much this means to me. I’m very young and hopefully have quite a long time ahead of me in the saddle, but to come down here and win a Queen Elizabeth on an English horse, for someone who has given me a lot of support, at a time that has been tough for English racing, it could not mean any more.”
 
Meanwhile, Chris Waller said that runner up Verry Elleegant will now head to the paddock with plenty to look forward to over the spring.

“Ï certainly wasn't disappointed running second to a horse like that. We franked our form splitting the international horses,” said Waller.

"It confirms her Ranvet form and it confirms that over 2400 she could be a little bit more dominant. She showed that on the line today.

“It's not easy winning in your backyard let alone winning in the other hemisphere so well done to Mr Haggas and the team that brought the horse out here.

"Yes the English horses are good, yes the Japanese horses are good but the Aussies aren't too bad either. Or the New Zealand horses!

“She has done us proud and I'm looking forward to everything ahead. She is only a four-year-old, she is a young horse so we've got a lot to look forward to."